Chapter 33 — Goodbye

"Good-bye doesn't have to be forever."

— Jenny Han

Today is the day, Serena thought as she laced up her boots. Today, she would finally beat him. But today was also the day she would be thrust back into her old life style. They would both part ways today, him returning to his people and her remaining behind. It was the day she would be all alone again save for the Grimm.

Adam quietly watched the girl from his spot outside. He had noticed her abrupt change of mood, switching from joyous and lively to quiet and depressed. He could only guess that it was because he would be returning to the White Fang today. He actually felt bad for her. For once she had some company out here, and now she would be left alone again. It was rather sad if he thought about it.

She was kind, and he could tell that she greatly enjoyed the company of others. Although there were moments when she preferred to be left alone, she was still a sociable being. And she didn't seem to mind his company all that much. In fact, she seemed to genuinely enjoy the time they spent together.

He blinked when he noticed her walking towards him. She had on a simple outfit: a top and a pair of jeans with her boots. But to him, she looked rather attractive. Especially her smooth legs. Her body had turned from slender to lithe and strong during the time they had trained together. He had to admit, the look suited her well. Well, damn me. I actually like the girl, Adam realized with dull surprise. It wasn't really a shock to him — he had noticed how he'd been reacting to her lately — but still a minor surprise. It was the first time he felt this way about a woman, especially a human one.

Stopping in front of him, he was pleased to see the look of determination in her eyes. It seemed she was prepared to take him down today, and he wondered if she would succeed. "Ready for our spar?" he asked with a small grin.

"You bet I am."

Handing her staff to her, he noticed the surprise that filled her face. "We'll use weapons this time around. To make things more interesting," he explained, unsheathing Wilt and putting Blush away.

"Won't that be dangerous?" Serena asked with worry. They had never used their weapons in a spar before, and she did not want to hurt him on accident. Not when he'd only just healed a few days ago.

Turning towards the girl, the Faunus said, "Not a problem. We won't be trying to kill each other, but I still expect you to fight seriously. I won't hold back either." Nodding, he watched the girl take her own place a fair distance from his, feet apart and shoulders squared.

"Ready?" When she gave a resolute nod, he commanded, "Go!"

No matter how many times she saw it, Serena was always awed by just how fast the Faunus moved. He had barely uttered the word before appearing in front of her, sword lifted and aiming for her belly. But during all their spars she, too, had evolved. It was easier for her to track him now, even though she still couldn't keep up completely.

Jumping back, the sharp blade narrowly missed its target. Switching from defense to offense, Serena lashed out with her own weapon. Metal met metal as the two weapons collided, their masters locked in a contest of strength. Adam triumphed over the girl with ease and threw her backwards, before swiftly following her staggering form with a kick to her side.

But the girl was no fool. Letting herself be carried by the momentum of his throw, she gained some distance before throwing her staff up into the air. Distracted by the unexpected action, Adam's eyes automatically followed the weapon, losing focus of the girl. In the meantime, Serena ran up the bark of a nearby tree, jumped off and rotated in mid-air. Adam's eyes widened in surprise as he saw her perform the stunt. Before he knew it, she had grabbed hold of her weapon and was coming down on him, the end of the staff pointed at his chest.

Thanking his excellent reflexes, he rolled off to the side before getting back on his feet. His head was jerked to the side as the girl threw a series of jabs at him, persistent in her attack. A slight frown was thrown her way, but he only received a smirk in return. Intent on throwing her off-balance once more, he crouched low and aimed to swipe her feet out from under her.

But Serena would have none of it.

Recognizing the attack for what it was, she jumped over his legs. Body rotating around its own axis on the spot, she performed a perfect aerial walkover, one of her feet connecting with the male's jaw. Caught off guard once more, Adam stumbled back from the force of the hit. The girl left him no time to recover when her staff hit him square in the stomach. Grip weakening on the handle of his own weapon momentarily, she swung her staff again and away his sword flew. His eyes widened when she was the one to sweep his feet out from under him.

Back hitting the hard ground with a dull thud, Adam groaned at the impact. Immediately, the end of Serena's staff was pointed at his chest, effectively keeping him from getting up. It took him a few seconds of heavy breathing before realizing that she had actually just beaten him. No one had beaten him in a long time, and he felt a smile of satisfaction cross his lips.

I trained her well.

"I win," Serena declared proudly, smirk turning into a bright smile. Retracting her staff, she reached down her hand and helped the Faunus back to his feet. She watched as he padded off the dust from his mended coat — he had been so thankful when she had mended the worst of the damage, though the piece of clothing was still a mess — and went over to sheath Wilt once more.

"You are the first person to beat me in a long time," he told her, back turned. For a moment, Serena feared that he would take his defeat as a blow to his pride. She needn't worry. "I can honestly say I'm proud to have been your teacher. You learned well and quick. You won fair and square. Good job."

The girl gave him a watery smile. It was the first time she had been praised, and it meant so much more coming from him. Wiping at her eyes, she thanked him profusely for having trained her so much. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"No problem. It was nice working with someone who can actually keep up and present a challenge for a change. You think when you fight; that's something I like about you," he confessed before catching sight of her pink cheeks. Oh, he had probably said more than he should have. "Well then… I guess it's time for me to go back now."

Her face immediately lost color and he could practically see the cloud of sadness over her. Seeing her like this made him feel uncomfortable, but he couldn't help it. He had to go back some day. Even if he would rather stay here where it was quiet and peaceful. "The quiet isn't all that you enjoy here," a voice in the back of his mind teased him, but he ignored it. Feelings would only make things unnecessarily hard for both of them.

"I guess so," Serena mumbled, one foot scraping over the dusty floor. Pull yourself together. You can't let him leave thinking you're completely dependant on him! So, plastering on her best smile, she said, "I wouldn't want to keep you from your friends. I'm sure they miss you."

Adam thought back to the empty room that was his. No, there really wasn't anyone that would miss him. His skills, yes, they would be missed, but not him as a person.

"Just make sure to get home alright. I don't want to have to save you again."

Her little jab caused a smirk to flit across his face. Looking at her eyes, he could see the honest concern for his well-being, as well as the pain this departure caused her. Breathing in deeply, he walked up and laid a hand atop her slender shoulder.

"I'll be sure to keep out of trouble. And you too, take care of yourself. You're strong, so I'm sure you'll be fine. But if I find the time, I promise to visit."

"Really?" A hopeful spark was lit in her eyes at the words.

"Yeah. That is, if you would have me as a guest?"

"Of course! Come whenever you want to. You know where to find me."

Nodding, Adam walked into the cave to pick up his Grimm mask. The object felt foreign in his hand, heavy. Like a shackle he had shed and was now willingly putting back on. Stashing the mask in his coat's pocket, he joined the girl back outside. They said farewell once more and then he was gone, turning his back on her and the cave he had come to like as a new home.

"I'll miss you," Serena whispered quietly as she watched his back until it disappeared behind the bushes. A solitary tear escaped her eye. Entering the cave, she noticed how empty it suddenly felt. Even the fire could not chase away the cold that had enveloped her body.

I'll be fine. I have to. After all, I have been alone before. Why should now be any different?

But even she could not fool herself into believing the lie.

EDITED: 23/10/2018

Hope you like it.

A huge shoutout to Lord Dragonic for his amazing praise and encouragement. You really made my day!

As alway, reviews are welcome, as is critique. Feel free to tell me what you think anytime!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of its characters. All I do own are my OC and the idea and plot of the non-canon parts of the story.